Harry Potter and the Veil of Forever
by siriuspadfoot25
Summary: My version of the sixth book. Harry and co. set out to save Sirius, but where is he?
1. Don't Die Again

"Come on, you can do better than that!" yelled Sirius, his voice echoing around the cavernous room.  
  
The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest.  
  
The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock. Harry released Neville, though he was unaware of doing so. He was jumping down the steps again, pulling out his wand, as Dumbldore turned to the dais too.  
  
It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall. His body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backward through the ragged veil hanging from the arch...  
  
And Harry saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his godfathers wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind and then fell back into place. Harry heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream, but knew it meant nothing--- Sirius had only just fallen through the archway, he would reappear from the other side any second...  
  
But Sirius did not reappear.  
  
"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled, "SIRIUS!"  
  
He had reached the floor, his breath coming in searing gasps. Sirius must be just behind the curtain, he, Harry, would pull him back out again...  
  
But as he reached the ground and sprinted toward the dais, Lupin grabbed Harry around the chest, holding him back.  
  
"There's nothing more you can do, Harry---"  
  
"Get him, save him, he's only just gone through!"  
  
"It's too late, Harry---"  
  
"We can still reach him---"  
  
Harry struggled hard and viciously, and he finally broke free of Lupin. Lupin made to grab for him but Harry was too fast.  
  
"SIRIUS!" Harry bellowed again as sprinted to the dais and climbed onto it. He reached for the veil and pulled it open. A strong wind was pulling at him. He looked down. There was a black hole so long; Harry could not see the bottom. He spotted Sirius a few feet down holding onto a rock.  
  
"Harry," he said in a faraway voice. "Save me, Harry."  
  
"I'll try to pull you up," replied he replied bending down. He reached down to Sirius as Sirius reached a hand up. They grabbed onto each others hands, and Harry stared to pull him up.  
  
Sirius' elbows were back on the dais when it happened. The wind became too strong. It kept pulling at Sirius and wouldn't stop.  
  
"It's-too-strong, Sirius," said Harry.  
  
"I no, but try to pull harder."  
  
"Its not going to work."  
  
"Well, their are other ways to save me."  
  
"Their are?"  
  
"Yes, all you have to do is-"  
  
Suddenly there was a shove front behind them. Harry whipped around just in time to see the grinning face of Bellatrix Lestrange, before he sank down. Bellatrix had pushed them both into the arch. Harry and Sirius were falling and gaining speed. There was light for a few seconds, but then it disappeared, which meant the veil had fallen back into place. They were falling too fast and couldn't grab onto the wall.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" screamed Harry.  
  
Well, should I go on? 


	2. Wake Up

Here's chapter 2, hope you like it! Thanks to Nitnat3 for reviewing!  
  
"What is it, boy," said Uncle Vernon.  
  
"W-what?" replied Harry feebly. He let his eyes adjust to the light that was now flooding his bedroom. Uncle Vernon, his hand still on the light switch, and Aunt Petunia were both standing in Harry's doorway. He could hear Dudley's snores from next door.  
  
Harry was sitting bolt upright in bed and sweat was pouring from his face. His scar was also searing with pain though he didn't know why. Luckily he had restrained himself from clutching it. Otherwise Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would be asking some fierce questions.  
  
It had only been a dream, Harry told himself. How foolish he had been to think it was real.  
  
"What is it, boy," repeated Uncle Vernon, now looking quite angry at being woken up in the middle of the night. Or perhaps it was that he now knew that Harry was alive and well. Harry couldn't tell.  
  
"W-what happened?" asked Harry, still a bit shaky from the dream.  
  
"You woke us up! You were screaming!" this time it was Aunt Petunia who spoke.  
  
"Oh that, that was- nothing," replied Harry, not wanting the Dursley to know he had been woken up by a nightmare. Especially one about a person who was supposed to be alive and swoop in on them if they treated him badly.  
  
"Nothing!" sneered Uncle Vernon, his eyes narrowed. "I'll have you know, boy," he jabbed his finger at Harry, "that if we are woken up by your nonsense again, you'll be nothing!"  
  
"I can't control what I dream about!" yelled Harry.  
  
"So it was a dream, eh?"  
  
"Yes, it was a dream," said Harry in a mocking tone.  
  
"Watch your tone with me, boy," sneered Uncle Vernon. "I don't have to let you write letters with that ruddy bird you know!"  
  
"Tut, tut, tut."  
  
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO TAKE THAT TONE WITH ME!" roared Uncle Vernon. "AND STOP TUTTING!"  
  
"I'LL TAKE ANY TONE WITH YOU THAT I WANT!" screamed Harry in response. "AND I WAS ONLY GOING TO REMIND YOU THAT IF THE OR- IF MY FRIENDS DON'T HEAR FROM ME THERE GOING TO COME HERE AND HEX YOU!" He had almost said "the order" and that would definitely raise some questions that he did not want to answer.  
  
Uncle Vernon froze in mid sentence, mouth opening and closing. Harry knew he was trying very hard to think of a comeback.  
  
^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^  
  
Harry, though he knew why, had gotten off with only one punishment. He was told to not stray from the house so that he did not in danger the rest of the family. Harry was pretty sure though, that Voldemort was not going to attack him since (he was pretty sure) the order was still protecting him. He didn't mind staying in his room though. It gave him plenty of time to do his homework or lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, and thinking.  
  
One day his thoughts traveled back to his nightmare. Had Sirius been trying to contact him to tell him of ways to save him? Or was it just as it had seemed a nightmare? He remembered all the times he had witnessed Harry's death in his dreams, and suddenly a thought popped in to his head. All the other times, just as in real life, Lupin had proper ally restrained him. But in this dream Harry had managed to get away. By doing that he had actually gotten the chance to talk to Sirius. And Sirius was going to tell him how to save him, but then- Bellatrix pushed them both. What if it wasn't really Bellatrix? What if Voldemort had gotten into his mind again, and controlled the dream Bellatrix to push them? It would explain his scar hurting. It would explain everything.  
  
Harry suddenly got up and walked to his window, looking out at the stars. He wondered if Sirius and his mom and dad were up there, smiling and waving at him. Thinking about his parents and Sirius happy gave Harry a pain in his chest, so he turned from his window and instead glanced at the clock. It was 11:45 so, feeling a bit tired since he'd stayed up most of last night doing an essay, decided to go to sleep. He crossed the room and lay back down on his bed. His last comforting thought before sleep overcame him was of his parents and Sirius waving and smiling at him from the stars. And, he thought, if they couldn't be happy here on earth, at least they were happy up in the clouds.  
  
^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^  
  
Harry awoke a few hours later to find a strange creature covered in snow and making soft clicking noises, on his chest. He looked around the room and saw that their were more of them all about the room. He regretted very much leaving the window open  
  
I'm working on the next part at the moment, but when I get done I won't post until someone reviews. 


	3. Results

Chapter 3: Results  
  
Harry cautiously reached over to get his glasses. When the creature made no movement to attacked, he quickly grabbed them up and put them on. Relief flooded over him.  
  
"Hedwig!" exclaimed Harry. She clicked her beak happily and flew across the room to join the other owls, who were sitting on Harry's desk, allowing him to sit up. There were four of them, three of which were carrying packages.  
  
Harry moved toward a bronze colored owl first, and untied the letter from its claws. As soon as he did this the owl took off, evidently knowing its job was completed. Harry then turned the letter over, and found the Hogwarts seal holding the letter tightly shut. He opened it and inside found the usual letter telling him to catch the Hogwarts Express on September 1 and his list of school supplies. But there were two other pieces of parchment behind the first two. One of which told him his O.W.L. grades. Harry closed his eyes and gulped before looking at it:  
  
Subject: Score: Transfiguration: A Potions: A Astronomy: P Charms: A Herbology: A Defense Against the Dark Arts: O Care of Magical Creatures: O Divination: D History of Magic: P  
  
Well, that wasn't to bad, thought Harry. Even though I got a D, I still managed 6 pass grades. And no T's. Looks like he'd be able to take potions after all. Now it was time for the fourth piece of parchment. Harry took it out of the envelope and examined it carefully. He was supposed to mark off the classes he wanted to take his 6th and 7th years. Since the owl was gone, though, he decided to wait and see if he was going to be seeing Ron before summer was over so that he could fill it out with him. Or even Hermione.  
  
Remembering his other letters Harry went over to Pigwidgeon, so that he could relieve his burden. As he got closer the small owl twittered madly and zoomed about as much as possible with a package holding him down. Harry untied the package from the owl's leg and went over to his bed to open it. First he read Ron's letter:  
  
Harry,  
  
Did you find out your O.W.L. score yet? Mum wasn't very  
happy when she found out mine. I managed three A's and an O, but that  
was in Care of Magical Creatures. Nothing much going on round here.  
Mum and Dad have to go between here and Number 12 so much, I think we  
may have to move back their for awhile. None of the members who come  
here will tell us anything about their efforts. Hopefully you can  
come over soon. I need help deciding what classes I'm going to be  
taking next year. Happy Birthday!  
  
Ron  
  
Going to the burrow (or even Grimmauld Place) sounded great, though Harry wondered what it would be like to be around friends again, especially Lupin. Before he still had school to worry about, so he had kind of pushed his feelings aside for awhile. But now the unfairness of it all weighed down on him, so he was a bit more susceptible to tears. And often times Harry found himself wondering, why me? Or even, why Sirius? Harry wrote Ron back telling him that he would love to come over, but didn't know how he would get their. And that he needed to get to Diagon Alley anyway. He also told him all about his O.W.L. scores. Harry tied the letter to Pigwidgeon's leg, who took off immediately; evidently glad for the light load. He ten opened the package, which was a box of chocolates from Mrs. Weasley. Harry then went over to Hedwig, who also had a letter and package for him. It was from Hermione:  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
Happy Birthday! It's a good thing Hedwig showed up, or I  
wouldn't be able to get this to you. Hope your summer is going well.  
I just got back from a trip to the United States with my parents. We  
went to New York and saw the statue of Liberty. I've been reading up  
on wizards in America, they seem quite fascinating. Even thought they  
speak English hear, it's a bit different from ours, so they were hard  
to understand at times. I've been reading up on something else to,  
though. I knew you wouldn't want to talk about it, so I asked Neville  
how Sirius died instead. So, for awhile I've been trying to find out  
as much info about the veil as I can. I hope you don't mind.  
Well, Ron says maybe we'll be able to stat at his house soon,  
or even Grimmauld Place. By the way, have you gotten your O.W.L.  
scores yet? I got two A's, but the rest were O's. Hope you did well,  
and hope to see you soon,  
  
Hermione  
  
It was a little hard to believe that Hermione had gotten two A's, but he wouldn't mention that to her. Harry didn't feel like sending Hedwig off again, so he set the letter on his bed so that he could reply later.  
  
Then Harry moved to the fourth and final owl. This one Harry had never seen before. It was a sleek silver color, mixed in with a bit of white. He took the envelope and package off the owl and opened the letter:  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
Meet Wolf, my owl. I hope you are doing well on your own.  
I know that I have the Order here to help me get through this, but  
you have no one. Therefore, I hope that you keep in mind that  
whenever you need to talk, just send Hedwig. I will always have time  
for your letters. And I will always be there for you, Harry. And  
don't think I'm trying to replace Sirius, because no one ever can.  
There will a funeral in one week, and I want you to be  
there. So I convinced Dumbldore to let me come get you. I'll be  
picking you up on Saturday, no matter what your Aunt and Uncle say.  
You can spend the rest of summer with me at Grimmauld Place. I  
believe the Weasleys and Hermione will soon be coming to stay too. If  
not, you can see them at the funeral. I hope you like your present.  
  
Remus  
  
Harry was expecting a letter like this from Lupin, but he was appreciative nonetheless. What he wasn't expecting though was a funeral so soon. Perhaps it had been a month, but there was still hope, Harry thought, of saving him. When Lupin's present was unwrapped Harry found himself staring a framed photograph of at his father, Sirius and Lupin arm in arm and waving at him at probably about 16 years of age. Lupin must have known he didn't have a picture like this.  
  
"The true marauders," Harry whispered to himself as he put the picture on his desk. As he went to sit on his bed to admire the photo some more, Harry accidentally sat on Hermione's present, which he had completely forgotten about. He unwrapped it to find a book entitled, Quidditch Teams of America.  
  
He was flipping through it when something caught his eye. The page was headlined, The Georgia Grimmers. Underneath was an illustration of a big, black shaggy dog. Silent tears sprang to Harry's eyes as he remembered Sirius' paws on his shoulders (in fact, he could almost feel them) at Kings Cross Station just before he left on the Hogwarts Express the previous year. And he remembered Mrs. Weasley saying, "For heaven sakes, act more like a dog Sirius!"  
  
Then another memory came into his mind, one he knew was not his own. He found himself once again being sucked into a memory from someone else's head.  
  
"Come on Wormtail, you can do it," prompted Sirius.  
  
"No, what if something happens?" whimpered Peter.  
  
Harry found himself standing around Wormtail with Sirius and his father, in a Gryffindor dormitory. He guessed them to be a 3rd year. Glancing out the window, he saw the moon was full, though partly covered by clouds.  
  
"Do it for Moony," said James. Wormtail whimpered again, but had finally given in. He slowly raised his wand to point at himself and muttered something under his breath. As soon as he did this, his body began to shrink before their eyes. Peter sprouted whiskers from his face and a tail from behind. Soon enough he was the lazy rat Harry had once known as Scabbers.  
  
"That's it Wormtail!" cried Sirius, as James put the rat into his pocket.  
  
James glanced out the window and said "there they go!" Harry too looked out the window and saw two shapes crossing the sloping grounds. One was shorter than the other, which was definitely Lupin, and the other was obviously Dumbldore. When they got to the Whomping Willow Dumbldore prodded the knot with a long stick that was nearby, and it froze. Then Lupin started to make his way down the tunnel.  
  
"We better get moving if we want to make it there before he changes," said James. And with that the two of them threw the cloak over themselves, and took off for the stairs, Frantically Harry searched for something to disguise himself, but then remembered that he could not be seen. He then strained his ears for footsteps a followed them out of the common room, down many corridors, through they oak front doors and across the grounds. Finally they stopped in front of the Whomping Willow, where James and Sirius took the cloak off.  
  
"Go prod the knot, Wormtail," said James as he took the rat out of his pocket and let him go. Peter dodged all the branches swinging at him, as he got to the base of the trunk. Once there he pushed one paw on the knot at its roots, making the tree freeze.  
  
"Good rat," joked Sirius. Peter let out a squeak of annoyance as he ran down into the tunnel, James and Sirius close at his heels. Harry quickly followed. The four of them crawled through the tight tunnel, ending up inside the Shrieking Shack. Waiting for them on one of the dusty ripped- open chairs was Lupin.  
  
"Hey!" he greeted them happily, though looking quite pail. "I think the clouds are about to shift," he said glancing through one of the boarded up windows.  
  
"Well, shall we, mate?" James asked, turning to Sirius.  
  
"Yes, I think we should," Sirius replied.  
  
The two then in unison pointed their wands at themselves, and muttered something under their breaths. Both of them grew in size. One started to have a muzzle coming of his face, the other growing antlers out of his head. Soon enough Sirius was the dog Harry had seen him as many times before, and his father was the stag Harry had only seen in a white mist- like form. It was true; his father had always been there for him when he was scared.  
  
The clouds then shifted, and so did Lupin. His body reformed itself as he sprouted hair and cried (or rather howled) out in pain. When he was completely transformed, Lupin attacked the first thing he saw. Harry's father. Snarling, he lunged at him.  
  
"NO!" Harry cried, running forward. Forgetting that Lupin was a viscous werewolf. Forgetting that he could not touch anything while in someone else's memory. All he knew was that he had to save his father.  
  
Before Harry even reached him though, Sirius jumped in the way and took the full blow. Harry stopped dead in his tracks. The two dogs fought jaw to jaw, and claw to claw. That's when Harry felt a tug and started being dragged into the real world. He tried to resist, wanting so badly to save Sirius and his father. His last image, Lupin the werewolf biting Sirius before he pushed him out of the way and lunged again at his father. The last thing he heard, Sirius' yelp of pain.  
  
Harry sat on his bed crying for a few minutes, before he looked up at the photo. He felt so helpless, so alone in the world. The photograph now showed Lupin standing next to a bear-like dog and a magnificent stag. Most of the comfort Lupin's letter had brought him before was now gone. It was hard to imagine that the beast he had just seen was now the closest thing he had to a father. It's not his fault though, Harry thought. I must keep that in mind.  
  
^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it! I haven't written the next chapter yet, so expect it in a couple of days. Hope you liked this one! 


	4. In Memory of Sirius Black

Chapter 4: In Memory of Sirius Black  
  
Harry had mixed feelings when Saturday finally arrived. He was very happy, he thought, sitting on his bed next to his packed trunk and Hedwig's cage, to finally be getting away from the Dursleys and to be with friends again. (The only witch or wizard he had come in contact with since he had left Hogwarts had been Mrs. Figg, who now had him over for tea at least twice a week, and the occasional Order member, usually Bill Weasley or Tonks, who would accidentally bump into during their nightly watch. None of them were very helpful, though.) But half of him didn't want to be around friends again. Friends who would ask how he was feeling like Ron, Hermione or Lupin. And none of him wanted to go to the funeral. He knew he wasn't ready for either yet. Again Harry found himself thinking, why Sirius? Why did it have to be him?  
  
But Harry's thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell ringing, followed by it opening, muffled talking, and Uncle Vernon yelling up the stairs "get down here, boy!" Harry opened his door and walked as slow as possible down the stairs.  
  
"How do you explain this?" Uncle Vernon asked Harry when he finally arrived; making it so that only he could hear as he gestured toward Lupin framed in the open doorway, a nervous smile splayed across is face. Obviously Uncle Vernon was not going to let him in.  
  
"This is Professor Lupin," replied Harry, unable to hide a smirk. Uncle Vernon looked disgustedly at Lupin's shabby robes, as if he thought that someone who wore something like that could not possibly be a professor.  
  
"I'm here to take Harry to-" Lupin began, but was cut off.  
  
"A friend's house for the rest of the summer," finished Harry.  
  
Uncle Vernon looked between the two, knowing something was going on. But instead he rounded on Harry. "You never mentioned someone was taking you," spat Uncle Vernon.  
  
"Oops, must have slipped my mind," replied Harry, staring at him determinately.  
  
"I'll give you a mind slip, boy, if it's the last thing I do!" Lupin moved to grab for his wand, and apparently Uncle Vernon didn't mean the "if it's the last thing I do" part because he quickly spoke up. "Fine then, be off with you!"  
  
"I'll just get my trunk, then," Harry said happily, sprinting up the stairs. When he arrived in his room, Harry grabbed his trunk and lugged it down the stairs.  
  
"See you next summer," Harry said cheerily as he heaved his trunk onto the front porch, his Uncle slamming the door behind him.  
  
"That was pleasant," said Lupin sarcastically as he picked up Harry's trunk and cage, helping him carry it to the corner.  
  
"Knight Bus?" Harry asked. Lupin only nodded and stuck out his wand arm. Almost instantly a BANG sounded and a purple triple-decker bus appeared in front of them.  
  
A conductor in purple stepped down the stairs and started talking. "Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step-" but upon seeing Harry, abruptly stopped. "'Ey Neville," he said. "'Ere, let me 'elp that." Stan walked over to Harry's trunk, picked it up, and carried it up the bus stairs, Hedwig's cage balanced on top.  
  
Lupin looked quizzically at Harry, but followed Stan up the stairs. "I was on the run from the Ministry, I had to come up with some name," Harry explained as he followed him. That made Lupin chuckle. Harry couldn't remember the last time something even related to a chuckle escaped his throat. Certainly not since Sirius' death. Maybe not even since Cedric's.  
  
Lupin paid Stan and took a seat right behind him and the driver. Harry sat down across from him. "So you didn't tell them that I was taking you?" asked Lupin.  
  
"No," Harry replied.  
  
"Did you tell them about."  
  
"No. They still think he's going to swoop in on them if they treat me badly."  
  
"You have us for that now."  
  
"Yeah, I suppose so. So what's the Or-"  
  
Lupin gave him a warning look to silence him. "I'll tell you when we get there."  
  
The ride "there" was long because of all the stops they had to make along the way, but finally the Knight Bus stopped "two blocks south" as Lupin had told him, of Grimmauld Place. They had to be taken here so that no one would actually know where they were going. As they stepped off the bus Stan said "bye Neville" and in return Harry waved.  
  
But then Harry's attention turned to godfathers funerals and how to act around friends. Because for some reason Harry felt himself shutting down, closing up, wanting to hide his feelings. Not wanting to talk to Lupin or any one else who had been friends with Sirius. He knew this would be a problem, especially with Ron and Hermione. They would want him to tell them all about his feelings, but he wasn't going to let them.  
  
The two blocks walk to Grimmauld Place was in complete silence. When they arrived Lupin activated the house this time and then opened the door. Mrs. Weasley was ready and waiting to greet them both with motherly hugs, Harry's extra hard.  
  
"Oh, Harry!" she said squeezing him. "You poor darling! You poor, poor thing!"  
  
"Hullo, Mrs. Weasley," Harry replied, trying to get out of her strong grip as soon as possible. He didn't appreciate being called a 'poor thing,' he wasn't a poor thing; he could take care of himself. Why did people have to say that, don't they know how annoying it sounds?  
  
When Harry managed to get away from her, he turned around and found himself staring at an empty house, one in which he hated. He hated it because his godfather had hated it. He hated it because of the painting of Mrs. Black that hung on the wall that had scolded Sirius. He hated it because of its emptiness. There were many reasons to hate this house.  
  
Lupin then turned toward Harry and said, "Molly just came here to look after the house while I was gone and to make sure we got back okay. She has to get back to the Burrow soon, so it will just be the two of us, Harry." 'The two of us,' Harry didn't like the sound of that. It probably meant that they would sit down and Lupin would try to make Harry talk about Sirius, something that was not on Harry's to-do list.  
  
"Well I guess I'll take your stuff upstairs, and then I'll be going," Mrs. Weasley said as she put the locmotor charm on Harry's things and took them upstairs, leaving Harry and Lupin alone in the hallway.  
  
"Let's go down to the kitchen and have some dinner," Lupin suggested, finally breaking the silence. Harry made no reply, but followed him down the stairs. When they arrived in the kitchen Harry sat down at the empty table while Lupin went into the pantry, searching for supplies.  
  
Harry sat looking around the room, his eyes finally resting on the mantle over the fireplace. What he saw made his heart stop. No! Pictures when lined up, all showing a beaming Sirius. Pictures from Hogwarts (but none before), pictures before Azkaban, pictures from Harry's parents wedding, and even a few recent ones. There were belongings too, though. A few were letters here and there from people like Dumbldore, James, Lupin, and even him. It appeared that he had kept them all. There were also newspaper clippings from when Sirius had escaped from Azkaban (had that only been three years ago, it felt like an eternity), and personal belongings. It felt like someone had taken a bat to his heart. He didn't want to have to stare at these things every time he sat down to a meal. They dredged up to many memories.  
  
When Lupin finally walked back into the kitchen with a handful of ingredients, he found Harry with his head in his hands, fingers pulling at his hair. He looked more like Sirius more than any time he had before. Upon seeing him like this Lupin whispered, "you are so much like him." Harry just snorted and lifted his head to stare at the mantle. Lupin gave him a that's-just-the-kind-of-thing-he-would-do look, and followed his gaze.  
  
"I see you've noticed my shrine," he said, crossing the room to start dinner on the stove. Harry didn't feel like continuing the conversation, so he just sat quietly while Lupin made dinner.  
  
When Lupin was done he carried the two plates of steaming food to the table, sat down, and passed one to Harry. During the dinner Lupin tried repeatedly to start a new conversation with Harry, never giving up. First he filled him in Order happenings (at least the ones Dumbldore had approved); he could tell by the look on Harry's face that none of it was very interesting to him. Then Lupin asked him questions about his summer and how he was doing, Harry merely replied with things like "good" and "mmm," but stayed as quite as possible. When Harry was done eating he put his dishes in the sink and left the kitchen. He climbed up two flights of stairs to the room he had stayed in last year and collapsed onto the bed with his things in front of it.  
  
"Ah, once again I'm stuck with the enraged teenager," said the familiar voice of Phineas Nigelus in his portrait on the wall. In response Harry threw his pillow at the portrait and drifted off into a fitful sleep.  
  
^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^  
  
The next week passed by slowly. Harry spent most of the time locked up in his room, reading textbooks or just thinking. It was a lot like privet Drive. He came down for meals where Lupin still tried to make him talk, but finished those as quickly as possible. He was glad when Lupin was out, though, so that he could eat in peace. Sometimes Harry went up to feed Buckbeak, who, though it may have been his imagination, seemed to be wondering where Sirius was. At those times he would sit on the windowsill and, not wanting to watch Buckbeak eat, would look at the people walking by who he was glad could not see him, or wonder what the Order members and even Sirius were doing right now.  
  
Saturday eventfully came though, the day of the funeral. Harry sat on his bed and tried to decide between his green dress robes (which looked much nicer) or his usual black ones. Finally he threw on the black ones, deciding they would be more appropriate. Lupin met him at the bottom of the stairs, he too wearing black robes, but also a somber look on his face. They both walked out the door and down two blocks in silence, both having to heavy a heart and too many thoughts on their mind to speak. Lupin signaled the Knight Bus and the two boarded, Lupin paying. Harry was to busy thinking about what lay ahead to notice that Stan wasn't on duty today.  
  
They rode the bus to Hogesmade, because the funeral was to take place at Hogwarts, Harry remembered Lupin telling him. Probably the Sirius was happiest. As Harry stepped down from the bus stairs he made sure not to look at the mountains behind him. He was afraid the memories would force him to cry, and he didn't want to cry in front of Lupin.  
  
They walked across the grounds and up to the lake where everyone else was already congregated. When Hermione saw Harry she immediately ran over and squeezed him round the middle.  
  
"Oh Harry!" she moaned, crying into his chest. Harry, who was caught by surprise, awkwardly patted her on the head. He couldn't help but smile a little though. Since he had gotten over Cho, Harry realized who he had fancied deep down all along.  
  
Ron came over and put a hand on his shoulder. Looking a bit jealous as he glanced at Hermione asked, "how you doing, mate?"  
  
"Okay, I guess," answered Harry. Hermione let go of him and wiped the tears from her eyes. After what she had done Harry decided that if she and Ron didn't want to talk about Sirius to much, he may be able to tolerate them for awhile. The three of them gazed at the lake watching the sunlight flickering across its surface. They weren't really watching it though, their minds were to full of thoughts to just stand there and watch a lake. Harry noticed Lupin had walked over and was now talking to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Hearing his name, he strained his ears to listen in.  
  
"How is he doing?" asked Mrs. Weasley.  
  
"Well, he seems a bit depressed," replied Lupin. "How so?" asked Mr. Weasley.  
  
"He wants to be alone all the time and he won't talk to me," replied Lupin.  
  
"Poor dear," muttered Mrs. Weasley. So, thought Harry, they think they can talk about me behind my back, do they?  
  
"Harry?" Hermione asked, interrupting his thoughts.  
  
"What?" Harry snapped, but immediately regret it.  
  
Hermione jumped at his rage but said, "we were just called over."  
  
Harry then noticed that everyone was moving in one direction. Toward the tree. His, Ron, and Hermione's favorite tree. His father, Sirius, Lupin, and the rat's favorite tree. So Harry followed them. They had all formed a ring around the tree so Harry joined in, ending up between Ron and Dumbldore. He glanced up at his headmaster to find his eyes twinkling behind his half moon glasses and that usual look of relaxation on his face. Harry wished he could wipe it off. He then turned his attention to the circle to find all the Weasleys and Order members, excluding of course Percy, Charlie, and Snape.  
  
"I think we should go around and have everyone say something about Sirius," suggested Dumbldore. "Let's start with you Kingsley," he said, indicating Kingsley Shacklebolt, who was just to his right.  
  
"I was head in the hunt for Sirius," Kingsley began. "Until last summer I thought he was a mass murderer like everyone else, but then I found out the truth. Deep down I think I always knew the story was a bit fishy. Sirius was the most fun-loving, kind hearted person man I will ever know and in my heart, that's what he will always be."  
  
Everyone in the circle went round and voiced their thoughts about Sirius. When it came to Tonks she told about what a great cousin he had been when they were little. How he always used to play pranks on everyone and give great Christmas presents, and how he would always find time to play with her when no one else would because they thought she was a freak. She also said that she really missed him.  
  
When it was Lupin's turn Harry made sure to quite his thoughts down so that he could pay attention. "Sirius was my best friend. As a child he was the one who convinced James that I was worthy of their friendship. He always found something to laugh about; otherwise he would make something to laugh about. I would like to share a memory I have that I hope will make you at least smile, because I think that Sirius would be a bit mad if there wasn't laughter at his own funeral. And now I am ready to share a secret that I have kept for years."  
  
"As you know, I am a werewolf, and became one before I started school here. So, once a month I as smuggled out of school so that I could crawl through a tunnel under the Whomping Willow, so that I could change into a monstrous creature in the safety of the Shrieking Shack. I was afraid that when James, Sirius and Peter found out they wouldn't want to be friends anymore, so I didn't tell them. Well, they started to notice that I was gone once a month and got suspicious. James and Sirius were top of the class, very smart, and finally figured it out. Their reaction was a lot different then I thought it would be. They decided that they wanted to go into the shack with me." Mrs. Weasley let out a small gasp. "I knew how dangerous it would be and didn't want them to come, but they insisted. So in out third year the three of them became animagus. Sirius, a bear-sized, black, shaggy dog, and James, a gigantic stag. Peter had some trouble though, and James and Sirius had to help him. You should have seen the look on his face when he finally did it though. His eyes bulged like somebody had squeezed him, but you could definitely tell he was disappointed when he found out that he was a rat." That, like Lupin had said he hoped, raised some laughter.  
  
"Those three helped make my changes easier, until finally I was able to leave the shack with them and have the run of the grounds. Afterwards they would sometimes tell me that I had attacked one of them, usually James, but the other, usually Sirius, would protect them. And that's what I think Sirius was to us all, a protector."  
  
When Lupin was done, it kept moving around the circle. Hermione said that she hoped Sirius was okay, wherever he was, and how good of a friend he had been the past two years. When it was Ron's turn he also said that Sirius had been a good friend and how grateful he was for Pig. Harry was next. When Ron finished all attention turned toward him. Even those he knew hadn't been paying attention now had their eyes on him. Harry looked at Lupin, who gave him a nod of encouragement. I don't need your stupid encouragement, thought Harry, but took a deep breath and started.  
  
"Sirius was much more than a godfather. He was a friend, someone who cared, a joker, someone who understood, and one of a kind. He was wrongly charged for a crime just because he wanted revenge on the people who killed his friends, my parents, and because of that he had to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban and on the run from the law. Sirius was someone you could always count on. He was serious when he needed to be, but would always make us laugh, even when we thought there was nothing to laugh about."  
  
"His laugh was like a dog bark, I'll never forget it. I'll never forget the first time I saw him either. He scared me while in his dog form near Privet Drive. Or the time he came to my quidditch match to see if I played as good as my dad. I think we should all cherish our memories of Sirius because, besides photos, it's all we have left of him."  
  
Harry wasn't quite sure where that had come from, because he hadn't practiced ahead of time. It was like the words had been sitting there all the time, just waiting to escape his throat. Harry looked over at Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and Hermione who were all crying, and then at Lupin who had silent tears streaming down his face. Weaklings, thought Harry. Of course he cried, but never in front of others, that showed weakness.  
  
Harry made sure to quiet his thoughts down again so that he could hear what Dumbldore had to say. "Sirius was a courageous man. He died to save his godson as he would have for his friends. He was the kind of person who was always either laughing or making other people laugh. He was a lot to all of us. I just hope all of you will take some time out every once in awhile to remember Sirius. But don't remember the man in which the veil swallowed up, remember the man who was a hero to us all. A man who rarely cried, but always laughed. A man who was encouraging, and hopeful, and brave. But most of all remember the dog that he was inside. Now, I think that flowers would be in order." And with that Dumbldore conjured into everyone's hands.  
  
Harry looked down and saw that he now held white flowers of some sort. He watched as everyone else walked up the beach tree and placed their flowers at the trunk. When they had all drifted away Harry slowly walked up to the base of the tree and placed his white bouquet on top of the pile of assorted colors. "Sirius," Harry whispered as he did this, "I'm really sorry, it's all my fault. I really, really miss you. I guess I'll see you when I get up there. Take good care of my parents for me until I join you." And with that he turned and walked back toward the crowd that was departing, quickly wiping a tear that had slipped down his face as he did so.  
  
^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^  
  
Meanwhile someone else was watching the funeral, but he wasn't up above. Well, maybe he was. Actually, he had no idea where this place was. It was like a jail cell though. There was a bed which squeaked when he lay on it and there was a floor beneath him, but that was it. The rest was a smoky, blue nothingness as far as the eye could see. Well, the archway was here too, but that didn't matter. He had already tried it, the archway, and it was useless. Even though it was probably his key to getting out of this place. He had tried to pull at the veil that was hanging from the archway, but it was stuck shut.  
  
It was quite boring here, worse than Grimmauld Place when no one was there. Every morning he would awake find The Daily Prophet lying on his chest. The first morning he had thrown it aside without taking a second glace only to find that as soon as he did so it burst into flames like a Phoenix. Unlike a Phoenix though, it was not reborn from the ashes, but just disappeared. Sirius was quite disappointed later with nothing to read. From that day on Sirius always read that articles that seemed interesting before throwing that days paper aside. After the newspaper he would sit and think of memories (usually depressing ones), which usually wound him stuck inside the memory until it was over. Once a day a screen would appear out of thin air and he would be forced to tell it the name of someone. The screen then acted as a camera, following that person wherever they went, hearing everything they say and think. Most of the time he would just sit there and watch Harry or Lupin, but sometimes he would check in on the other Order members. It was horrible to watch them suffer.  
  
Today he was watching his own funeral, feeling a bit like that Huck character from muggle books. Or was it Tom? He couldn't remember, it had been a long time since Lupin had made him read the book. His reactions were different for everyone. When Lupin spoke he just sat there, stunned that he had finally confessed, but not mad. As soon as Harry started to speak he jumped off the bed and ran to the floating screen, his hands against it, hanging on his every word.  
  
By the time Harry was finished he had sunk down to the floor, head clutched in his hands. When Dumbldore was done there was silence except for footsteps, so he looked up. Harry was standing all alone while the others placed flowers at the base of his favorite by the lake. When they were gone Harry put his flower on top of the pile the others had made and whispered, "Sirius. I'm really sorry, it's all my fault. I really, really miss you. I guess I'll see you when I get up there. Take good care of my parents for me until I join you."  
  
"No Harry, it's not your fault! It's mine!" he managed to choke out before he sunk onto the floor, crying uncontrollably. It tortured him so much to sit here and watch Harry suffer, but not being able to do anything about it. "Oh god," he sobbed. "Why did I have to do this to him? Why?"  
  
^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^  
  
Back at Grimmauld Place it was the day after the funeral. Harry was sitting on his bed reading The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 5 for the sixth time this summer. Harry got bored of it, so putting down the book he stood up to figure out something else to do. Finally he decided that wandering around may help him think, so he self-consciously headed toward Sirius' old room. Harry was about to round a corner, when something down the hall caught his eye. Something that made him cry out. Nobody else was home, so it was just him against.  
  
^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^ ^O-O^  
  
Haven't even started ch. 5 yet, so expect it in a bit. Sorry this one took so long to write, but it ended up being 14 written pages (and my writings pretty small), plus I had a bit of mild writers block. I knew what I wanted to write, but couldn't put it in words. Anyway, Halloween has come and gone, I hope you guys thought even for a second about what happened on that date in 1981, I know I did. Big thank you goes out to GriffinFox, the lone wolf reviewer for chapter 3. If we were to ever meet in The Three Broomsticks, a glass of Butterbeer is on me, or Odgen's Firewhiskey if you prefer. Thanks to all the reviewers from ch. 1 and 2 also, you can have a glass of Butterbeer. Griffinfox, I'm sorry it made you sad, but its glad to know that this story can do that to someone. I've been depressed all week. I keep playing this song over and over that has a sad electric guitar solo in the beginning, and when I listen to it I am forced to play all my Sirius memories (that I read from the books or fan-fics) in my head. If you're interested the song is called Black Balloon, and its by the Goo Goo Dolls, oh no, there it goes again. Well, to all those going to see Looney Toons, you lucky devil, if you haven't already heard there's a PoA trailer. I keep begging my parents to go but they won't let me. Ugh. 


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